China South Korea Photo:VCG

Ending a five-year gap, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit South Korea from Wednesday. Chinese observers said Seoul holds expectations for Wang's visit amid flux across Northeast Asia, and the trip underscores the importance of bilateral ties as the 34th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries approaches.

At the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea Cho Hyun and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Sugiono, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will visit South Korea and Indonesia from August 19 to 22, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Wednesday.

A release by the South Korean Foreign Ministry on Tuesday introduced that the two ministers are scheduled to hold a foreign ministers' meeting and a dinner on Wednesday and will exchange in-depth views on mutual concerns, including South Korea-China bilateral relations, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and regional and international issues. 

President Lee Jae-myung will also meet Wang at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday, The Korea Herald reported on Wednesday.

The visit, ahead of the ⁠APEC meeting in Shenzhen in November, is expected to serve as an opportunity to review the achievements of the full restoration of relations and to fully prepare for the next stage of high-level exchanges, the South Korean foreign ministry said. 

When asked about China's expectations for Foreign Minister Wang Yi's upcoming visit to South Korea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated on Wednesday that China and the South Korea are close neighbors and partners to each other. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 34 years ago, China-South Korea relations have achieved comprehensive and rapid growth, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples and making positive contributions to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity. 

It is believed that Foreign Minister Wang's visit will help both sides further implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, step up communication, enhance mutual trust, deepen exchanges and cooperation, and jointly advance the China- South Korea strategic cooperative partnership, Lin added.

Wang's trip marks his first visit to South Korea in five years since he last came to Seoul for bilateral talks with his South Korean counterpart in September 2021, Yonhap News Agency reported on Tuesday. The previous talks between Wang and Cho took place in September last year on the sidelines of the APEC forum in South Korean southeastern city of Gyeongju, the report said.

Dong Xiangrong, senior research fellow at the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that August 24 marks the 34th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. With the anniversary approaching, Wang's visit highlights the importance of bilateral relations, which have generally developed steadily over the past 34 years and delivered tangible benefits to both peoples.

On Wednesday, Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing also published an opinion piece in The Korea Times, writing that under the new circumstances, both sides should build on the current momentum, reinforce what is positive, address what needs to be improved and work together to keep bilateral relations healthy, stable and moving upward.

⁠China and South Korea have already conducted a number of high-level exchanges, with Lee Jae-myung making his first visit to China since taking office in January. Dong noted that such interactions underscore the need for continued coordination in the future diplomatic engagements.

This visit takes place at a critical juncture, against the backdrop of significant shifts across Northeast Asia, Zheng Jiyong, a professor from Tianjin Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"Lee is positioning himself for the next phase of South Korea's domestic political landscape, changes in the external environment, including the relation with China, exert substantial influence on South Korea's domestic politics," Zheng said. For all these reasons, Seoul attaches great importance to Wang's visit and has high expectations.